This is turning into quite the debate—which one of the emerging smartphone platforms will you support? The iPhone? Or, one of its competitors, like Windows Mobile, Research In Motion’s BlackBerry, Google’s Android, Symbian, or the upcoming Palm (NSDQ: PALM) webOS? The conversations are really heating up. Two weeks ago, we asked if you could build a large business by supporting only one platform, like the iPhone. Then, last week, we wrote about one person’s perspective on how Silicon Valley is gaga over the iPhone. That, spurred a response by Mike Rowehl, who wrote on his blog that he was “flabbergasted that the conversation could even be taking place. How can anyone seriously say ‘well, you’re ignoring all those potential millions of handsets out there running Symbian’ and keep a straight face?

SEE ALSO: Is The Rush To Develop iPhone Apps Creating A Bubble?

This is turning into a somewhat religious debate, but regardless of where your beliefs lie, there is some fundamental truths about each platform. To help guide you through the pros and cons is Walt Mossberg from the Wall Street Journal. The entire article can be found here, but here’s a small snapshot of the strengths and weaknesses of each platform:

Apple:
Pro: It has 17 million iPhones, and 13 million iPod Touches worldwide.
Con: It has a virtual keyboard and is attached to one carrier—AT&T (NYSE: T)—in the U.S.

RIM:
Pro: Has an install base of around 50 million.
Con: The install base is not all operating on the same OS.